Opening day of training camp brings excitement for Jeff Lebby, first Bulldog team
2024 is a fresh start for Mississippi State in nearly every way.
The spring was the spring, but fall training camp brings a whole different energy inside the building and Jeff Lebby is at the forefront of it all. While freshmen are getting their first college practices in and the returners are even dealing with the changes of the new staff, Lebby is going through his own firsts as a head coach.
Despite it being the “first” of what he hopes to be many opening days, Lebby treated it no differently than any other practice he’s had before. It didn’t make him any less thrilled.
“There was great excitement around finally being able to get started and get going and getting back on the grass,” Lebby said of Thursday’s start of training camp. “For me, Day 1 is always very similar from an excitement standpoint. We’re starting this journey together and we’re going to chase together. Now I have the opportunity to lead the entire program, which I love and I am thankful for.”
In those same respects, Lebby’s goal on day one was to see the excitement level that he had magnified from the rest of the team. The spring was a nice step forward and an introduction to what the coach is building in Starkville and summer workouts were a continuation. Fall camp is something entirely more.
Thursday wasn’t about instillations of offense and defense and there was no pad popping just yet. Thursday was about the team getting out on the practice field and doing what the players are at State to do.
“You want to see guys that are very intentional on getting better, taking to the coaching, finding ways to get coached and get coached every rep, and finding ways to strain,” Lebby said. “Again, our guys are doing that. We’ve got a ton of work to do but if we will keep being intentional in how we enter the building every day, every single rep and walk-through in practice, every single rep in meetings, we are going to get done.”
Installing the offenses and defenses will come as practices progress, but Lebby believes that’s not going to be an issue with his team. A major change in college football from several years back is that more and more high school athletes are beginning to graduate high school early and start their college football journey in the spring.
For Lebby, well over 20 players were in Starkville by January from the high school, junior college and transfer portal classes. Some high schoolers and JUCO players came in during the summer, but a lot of players have already gotten the playbook and expectations from Lebby and the staff ingrained in their minds.
“Our guys have retained in a really good way because they worked at it. It’s not like they haven’t picked up the playbook since we walked off the field in the spring game. So, they’ve put in the time,” Lebby said. “We’re so much further ahead than we were when we ended the spring. That’s what you want. Now it’s about getting the young guys up to speed and the new guys up to speed and getting them work.”
Saturday is practice number two in what will be a 25-day practice schedule for Lebby and company leading up to game one against Eastern Kentucky on August 31.
In the coming days, State will transition to full pads and preparations for that first game will start to come into the picture. Between now and then, Lebby just needs consistency from his players each day and the end result will take care of itself.
“Routine is good for everybody, for all of us. We’ve got 24 more practices, and that routine will be really good as we go through camp,” Lebby said. “It’s simple as day-by-day, rep-by-rep, walk-through-by-walk-through, meeting-by-meeting and getting better. That routine will be good for us.”
